Venue | Bristol Motor Speedway |
---|---|
Location | Bristol, Tennessee, United States |
Corporate sponsor |
Bass Pro Shops National Rifle Association |
First race | 1961 |
Distance | 266.5 miles (428.9 km) |
Laps | 500 |
Previous names |
Volunteer 500 (1961–1975, 1978–1979) Volunteer 400 (1976–1977) Busch Volunteer 500 (1980) Busch 500 (1981–1990) Bud 500 (1991–1993) Goody's 500 (1994–1995) Goody's Headache Powder 500 (1996–1999) goracing.com 500 (2000) Sharpie 500 (2001–2009) Irwin Tools Night Race (2010–2015) |
Most wins (driver) | Darrell Waltrip (7) |
Most wins (team) | Junior Johnson & Associates (9) |
Most wins (manufacturer) | Chevrolet (20) |
Surface | Concrete |
Length | 0.533 mi (0.858 km) |
Turns | 4 |
The Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race is a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series held at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. It is one of two NASCAR Cup Series races held at Bristol, the other being the Food City 500, but it is by far the more popular of the two. Since 1978, the race has been held in late-August, typically on the last weekend of the month, on a Saturday night, and is considered among the most difficult tickets to obtain in sports, with waiting lists for this event one of the longest in motorsports.
From 2001 to 2015, Newell Rubbermaid has been the title sponsor of the race, and until 2009 their marker pen brand Sharpie lent its name to the race. Newell Rubbermaid elected to change the race branding to promote one of its other brands, Irwin Industrial Tools. For the 2016 season, the main title sponsor switch to outdoor recreational retailer Bass Pro Shops with associate sponsor from the National Rifle Association, a right-wing gun advocacy group.